Brookfielder chosen to lead West Suburban Chamber
Brookfield resident Ken Grunke has been appointed executive director of the West Suburban Chamber of Commerce by the organization’s board of directors. He will begin his new position on Jan. 6, 2014.
Grunke has been with LaGrange-based Aging Care Connections since 2009, serving most recently as director of philanthropy and external affairs. Prior to that job, he was director of individual and major gifts at Pillars.
He is also president-elect for the Rotary Club of LaGrange, co-chairman of the Nonprofit Resource Center of the Chamber foundation and first vice president of the Chamber Board.
Grunke is also active with Kiwanis LaGrange ACT and the Young Nonprofit Professional Network of Chicago. He has a master’s degree in social work with an emphasis in gerontology from Dominican University in River Forest.
Grunke will be introduced to the West Suburban Chamber membership at the group’s annual holiday luncheon on Dec. 4 at the LaGrange Country Club.
The Hall calls
Lyons Township High School honored three of its distinguished graduates on Nov. 8 at the school’s annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the LaGrange Country Club.
Those honored included Dr. Thomas W. Burke, Dr. David A. Hyman and Alexander C. Wilson.
Burke, a 1971 graduate of LTHS, is a gynecologist and oncologist who has been practicing medicine for more than 35 years and is considered one of the leading experts in the world in the treatment of cancer in women.
He is executive vice president and physician-in-chief at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where he continues to advance the study of cancer economics and patient safety and quality improvement.
The author of nearly 200 original medical articles and a contributor to several textbooks, Burke is also a board member of the American Hospital Association.
He received his undergraduate degree in biology and his medical degree from Tulane University in New Orleans.
Hyman, a 1979 graduate of LTHS, has degrees in both medicine and law and is the H. Ross and Helen Workman chairman in law and professor of medicine at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he directs the Epstein Program in Health Law and Policy.
His research centers on healthcare financing and delivery and medical malpractice, among other things. From 2001-04 he served as a special counsel to the Federal Trade Commission and is the author of Medicare Meets Mephistopheles, which was selected by the U.S Chamber of Commerce/National Chamber Foundation as one of the top 10 books of 2007.
Wilson, a 1987 graduate of LTHS, has committed his life’s work to making the world a better place for those suffering from chronic mental illness. He is the executive director of The Carriage House in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Under his leadership the organization built Chad’s Guesthouse and Teaching Center, used to train professionals and consumers interested developing recovery programs in their communities.
Green thumbs
The Brookfield Beautification Commission honored the winners of its 2013 Garden Contest at a village board meeting. The sixth annual contest drew 16 entries from across the village.
On July 20 the commission viewed and evaluated the gardens and named Joan R. Strom at 4247 Blanchan Ave. as the first-place winner. Taking second place was Jeannie Rasmussen, 3635 Arthur Ave., while Jason and Cynthia Thayer of 4172 DuBois Blvd. placed third.
The first-place winner received a gift certificate from For the Birds and a garden ornament from Betty’s Flowers; second place received a gift certificate from To Do or Dye salon and a garden ornament from Betty’s Flowers; third place received a gift certificate to Grand Tavern.
Taking the lead
Brookfield-based Community Support Services announced in October that Necole Mills, director of CSS Academy in Brookfield, has been selected to participate in the Community Memorial Foundation’s Ladder to Leadership program, which aims to boost skills of those working in health-related nonprofit organizations so they will be poised to assume greater leadership roles in the future.
Mills oversees all program development, staff management and daily operations at CSS Academy, which opened earlier this year. She holds a master’s degree in human resource development and is working on her doctoral degree on organization leadership and nonprofit management.
Music makers
Eleven music students at Hauser Junior High School in Riverside chosen during a competitive audition process participated in the Illinois Music Education Association District One festival, which was held Nov. 9 at Riverside-Brookfield High School.
Students rehearsed with guest conductors and performed a concert of challenging music. Among those chosen to participate were orchestra students Matthew Cowell, Gus Enger, Lazaro Esquivel, Alexandra Lukas, Laura McLean and Adam Wang; choir students Tim Buckley, Gabriella Galloway, Angela Murray and Caleb Schlesser; and band student Massimo Flight.
On campus
The following local students were named to the first-quarter honor rolls at Nazareth Academy in LaGrange Park:
A Honor Roll: Brookfield residents Gloria Corona, Gina Crisanti, Drew Dunker, Luke Gerald, Rebecca Letcher, Brittany Schneider, Robert Schneider and Jacquie Skokna; North Riverside residents Guillermo Arroyo, Connor O’Neill, Emylee Zdarsky and Danny Zontos; and Riverside residents Gregory Bernasek, Brendan Sedivy and Hana Sedivy.
B Honor Roll: Brookfield residents Jocelyn Contini, Zachary Dominick, Grayson Hendrix, Zachary Johnson and Bernadette Skokna; North Riverside resident Calixto Arroyo; and Riverside resident Ben Bernasek.
The following local students were named to the first-quarter honor rolls at Fenwick High School in Oak Park:
First Honors: Brookfield residents Brandon Nieves and Mackenzie Sinnott; North Riverside resident Ethan Gerstner; and Riverside residents Dana Balk, Mark Birmingham, Kimberly Burda, Bridget Carey, Elizabeth Carlson, Benjamin Chmura, Caileigh Doherty, John Doherty, David Durkin, Clare Durkin, William Flaherty, Dylan Gresik, Sean Herbert, Rachel Heuel, Sarah Javors, Garrett Javors, Amy Kucera, Jonathon Kulhanek, Mitchell Legan, Amanda Lombardo, Jack Lulich, Jack Mahoney, Rachel McCarthy, Kate Milleker, Anna Milleker, Theresa Mullen, Daniel Murphy, Martha Murphy, Mary Murphy, Marni O’Bryan, Dennis O’Bryan, Alec Polston, Amelia Reggi, Stephanie Rodriguez, Michael Saganich, Richard Schoen, Kathleen Suess, Anastasia Tomasek, Grace Tucek, James Wise and Ryan Zia
Second Honors: Brookfield residents Gregory Lazzara, Amanda Lopez and Anthony Reyes and Riverside residents Riverside Conor Cawley, Salvatore Flight, Thomas Hennelly, Brendan Jones, Ryan Jones, Pauline Kaminski, Leila Leone, Riley Mullen, John Showel, Theresa Wagner and John Walsh.
